A tense standoff erupted between activists and police officers at the entrance of Harambee House when officers attempted to arrest activist Boniface Mwangi. Fellow activists, led by Hussein Khalid, intervened and pulled Mwangi away from the officers, preventing his arrest.
The confrontation occurred as activists and the families of missing anti-government protesters tried to submit the names of their missing loved ones to security officials. Tensions escalated when police blocked the activists from approaching the gate, with some officers even assaulting journalists and damaging their equipment.
Citizen Digital's Eric Owenga was attacked, and his phone was confiscated by a police officer while he was recording the incident.
Did you read this?
The protest was in response to comments made by President William Ruto during a town hall meeting in Kisumu on August 29, 2024. The President stated that he was unaware of any cases of Kenyans being abducted by security agencies during or after the recent anti-government protests. He urged families whose relatives or friends had gone missing during the protests to come forward with their names so the government could take action.
“If any family has lost a child, friend, or relative who disappeared during a demonstration, whether last year or this year, I want to know their names because I will take firm and decisive action,” President Ruto said. "As of now, I have no names of anyone who has been abducted or gone missing. If you have such a name, let the family come forward."
Hussein Khalid, in a poster promoting the march, stated that the activists planned to present a list of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances linked to the Gen Z protests. The list was to be handed over to Arthur Osiya, Principal Administrative Secretary in the Executive Office of the President, with whom they had reportedly arranged a meeting.
